Overview

HDR UK Scotland is the geographically largest HDR UK region. Spanning from the Shetland islands to the Scottish Borders, this regional network covers a wide range of populations with diverse health needs. As a result, our health data research is as interesting and dynamic as the population it represents.

HDR UK Scotland is at the forefront of innovative health data research and security. Our key areas of expertise revolve around data linkage and data infrastructure networks. HDR UK Scotland has a wide-ranging set of partners including Public Health Scotland, NHS Scotland and the Scottish Safe Haven Network (SSHN). As a result, our region holds meaningful collaboration and relationship building as one of our top priorities.

Regional expertise

Data linkage

Within Scotland there are innovative organisations developing new tools to improve
data linkage and research.

The UK longitudinal Linkage Collaboration is one of these
associations, based in the University of Edinburgh. It is a Trusted Research
Environment providing access to health data and services to enable research while
protecting the confidentiality. Through its work it enables discoveries through linked
associations between health, social, behavioural, and economic research.

Data infrastructure networks

The Scottish Safe Haven Network has been supporting research on sensitive data
since 2013 and is comprised of one National Safe Haven and Four Regional Safe
Havens enabling researchers to securely analyse health data while upholding strict
privacy and ethical safeguards.

Research Data Scotland (RDS) plays a network role in coordinating the Scottish Safe Haven Network interaction and enhancing their sustainability, a role previously done by Chief Scientist Office. This facilitates collaborative innovation and improvements in access to health, social care, and administrative data to further enable beneficial research.

    • Engage with Research Data Scotland to increase the diversity of accessible, high-quality data to researchers. This includes supporting and promoting the Researcher Access Service.
    • On-board metadata from across the Safe Haven network and other consented cohorts of
      data into the HDR Innovation Gateway to streamline the process of discovery and analysis of the breadth and depth of Scottish data. We also take on a continued commitment to large data resources such as the Lothian Data Loch and to TREs capable of working at national scale.
    • Collaborate on UK-wide standardisation and best practice approaches to health data science, including the involvement of patients and the public.
    • Launch of HDR UK Scotland Seminar Series, which involves monthly talks from our
      collaborators. This covers spotlights on specific research projects, training demonstrations for data researchers and career journeys and advice.
    • Support the Black Internship Programme across Scotland, including regular seminar
      meetings, support sessions and an in person meet up.
    • Continuing to facilitate connections of and to expertise in health data science from across
      Scotland. This renews our commitment to engage broadly across technology domains
      (statistics, AI, security, computing systems) and to support translation into clinical practice through our emerging centres (such as the Advanced Care Research Centre and the Usher Institute). We also work closely with lead figures in HDR UK, such as Cathie Sudlow (Big Data for Complex Disease), Emily Jefferson, Chris Cole and Bruce Guthrie (Phenomics and Prognostic Atlas), Islas Mackenzie (Scottish Clinical Trials), Marion Bennie and Ewan Pearson (Medicines in Acute and Chronic Care), Chris Dibben (Social and Environmental Determinants of Health).
    • Developing data intensive healthcare beyond HDR UK. All the institutions in the Scottish group have substantial research and education activities that are in synergy with HDR UK but not driven by it. Our group of Associate Directors from across the 6 major Scottish Universities will continue to meet regularly to build collaborations, support regional research and apply for leveraged funding. We will continue to collaborate with others across the UK and internationally, promoting Scottish Data and health data research.

Regional Co-Leads

Katie Wilde Co-Director of HDR UK Scotland and Grampian Safe Haven (DaSH) Director and Head of Digital Research at University of Aberdeen
Dr Catalina Vallejos Co-Director of HDR UK Scotland and Reader in Biomedical Data Science, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh
Dr Honghan Wu Co-Director of HDR UK Scotland and Professor of Health Informatics and AI at University of Glasgow

Programme Managers

Rachael Lowe HDRUK Scotland Research Programme Coordinator
Rinku Rajan Scotland Region Programme Manager